


Building Blocks

by blueharlequin



Category: Castle, Criminal Minds (US TV), Hannibal (TV), Leverage, NCIS, The Magnificent Seven (TV), White Collar
Genre: 5+1 Things, Backstory, Developing Relationship, Implied Relationships, M/M, Timeline What Timeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 05:57:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19312030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueharlequin/pseuds/blueharlequin
Summary: Chris and Ezra attend a law enforcement convention and Ezra learns that sometimes your past comes back to bite you in the derriere. Also, five times Chris meets other law enforcement Ezra knew before he came to the ATF, and the one time he meets a criminal.





	1. Neal Caffrey

**Author's Note:**

> obviously the timelines are more than a little skewed

They were going into to their hotel room when the door across the hall opened. “Jack? Jack Dalton?” Chris turned in alarm as his partner froze, a result of the voice that called out to them. It belonged to a man who had obviously come out of his room to get the newspaper sitting on the floor. Ezra's eyes widened in recognition. The delight in clear blue gaze from across the hall was apparent, and he postured himself as though he expected some sort of affectionate greeting. Moments later, his eyes narrowed in panic as Erza growled and stalked toward him.

"Nick." Ezra ground out has he cornered the man inside the door. The ATF agent looked seconds away from assaulting the young man. Chris wondered if he should intervene, especially since he was torn between deciding if his partner's aggressive demeanour was violent or sexual. Neither option particularly pleased him.

The moment was broken when an older man wearing slacks and an undershirt stepped out of the bathroom. The ATF leader noted that his posture screamed Fed. "Neal? What the hell did you do this time?"

The dark haired kid grinned, turning from where he was caged in between Ezra's arms. "Peter! I was just saying 'hi' to an old friend." He ducked out from where he was and the three of them followed the agent further into the room. "Peter, this is Jack Dalton, um, an old friend of mine."

"We are _not_ friends, Mr. Halden." Ezra spat. The blue eyed cutie looked a little ashamed.

Chris intervened before the tension could escalate any higher. "So what's the deal here Ezra?"

"To my displeasure, I met _Neal,_ " he said using the name the Fed had spoken, "On an undercover assignment as Jack Dalton when I was in Atlanta. He completely and inexplicably broke my cover."

"It wasn't that bad," Neal countered. The kid wiggled his eyebrows, "Some of it was kind of fun."

Chris and Peter both watched as Ezra sputtered, "Wasn't that bad? Eight months! Eight months of undercover work wasted! And then I had to endure the humiliation of an OIG inquiry."

Peter glared at Neal, then stopped as he took a closer look at the green eyed man, "Wait, you're Ezra Standish?" He rounded on his partner, "Neal! Why does it not surprise me that you had something to do with that?" Peter rolled his eyes as he reached into this suitcase for a shirt. Chris could hear him mutter something about 'Nick Halden' under his breath.

"Ah, yes, I see my notoriety is still undiminished in the Bureau." The Southerner turned back to Neal. "I assume that your charming presence here is due to this gentleman and pray tell, what do I have the dubious pleasure of calling you this time?"

"Well since introductions still haven't been made, Neal Caffrey. This is my partner Peter Burke." Peter stepped forward and shook both Chris and Ezra's hands.

Peter looked up just in time to see Ezra grace Neal with a look of skepticism. "Neal's on lone to the Bureau as a consultant." The thief raised his pant leg and Ezra smirked when he saw the ankle bracelet.

"That explains so many things Mr. Burke. In the view of our current camaraderie, and despite your prior knowledge, it is a pleasure to meet you. Ezra Standish at your service, and this is my boss Chris Larabee."


	2. Spencer Reid

"Spencer?" Chris stopped as Ezra abruptly turned in the hallway and ducked into one of the meeting rooms. 

A long haired young man who looked like a college student spun around, his eyes lit up as he cried, "Ezra!"

Chris frowned as his partner embraced the young man for a few more seconds than counted as friendly. He then tensed as an older dark haired man in a suit stalked towards them.

"Chris," Ezra gestured between them, "this is Spencer Reid." By this time, the suit had joined them and was proprietarily standing next to the young man. Chris raised his eyebrow at his partner as Spencer waved his hand in introduction. Ezra grinned at the two of them, "Ah, where are my manners? Spencer, this is my partner, Chris Larabee. And..." he trailed off then looked expectantly at the kid.

Reid turned pink, "Oh, nice to meet you. This is my boss Aaron Hotcher." Hotch leaned forward and shook Chris' hand. He grinned as the older man let go of his hand and placed it on the small of Spencer's back. Apparently he wasn't the only one who witnessed the hug and was currently involved with a coworker. "Hotch this is"

The older man cut in, "Ezra Standish," with a strange look on his face he continued, "didn't you leave and join the ATF?"

Ezra stiffened for a moment, but Reid barrelled on, either oblivious or uncaring as to the sudden tension, "You joined law enforcement, how did that happen? I thought by now you'd be a regular in the World Series of Poker."

Chris barked out a laugh, and Hotch looked at Reid questioningly. Looking the young man and his SAC up and down Ezra rejoined with, "I could say the same for you," he turned to Chris, "I met Spencer as he was being thrown out of a casino in Las Vegas. ‘Security’ was about to break his bones for card counting."

The younger FBI agent explained, "Ezra persuaded the guy to let me go with a warning, then proceeded to invite me to private poker game."

Ezra chuckled. "I then had to withdraw my invitation once I learned your age." Spencer blushed and suddenly Chris got the impression that a card game was not what the Southerner had meant. Apparently, the older FBI agent came to the same conclusion that he did and they both cleared their throats at the same time.

"Well..." the dark haired man started.

"We've got to go," Chris finished, "I think we are late for the seminar." He pointedly took Ezra's hand.

The two younger agents smirked at each other. "Nice seeing you again Ezra." The kid waved as they walked away.


	3. Tony DiNozzo

"Anthony!" Chris followed his partner through the hotel restaurant. They stopped at a table containing a good looking suit and a silver haired man who projected the aura 'Marine.'

"Oh my god, Ezra!" the younger blond leapt up and enveloped the smaller man in a bear hug. He affectionately clasped his arms and took a step back. They both regarded each other for a moment before hugging again then pulling away to present their companions. "Ezra, this is my boss, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Gibbs, this is a good friend of mine, Ezra Standish.”

The older man stood and shook the Southerner’s hand. Erza looked him up and down then looked a Tony with a smirk, “Charmed.”

"Why don't you join us for breakfast? I heard you'd joined the ATF?" Tony practically bounced up and down in his seat.

“Indeed,” Ezra replied looking surreptitiously at Chris, “I take it you are no longer with the Baltimore PD?

“Naw, got snapped up by NCIS,” he smiled fondly at Gibbs. Chris was momentarily stunned at the genuine smile this brought to his partner’s face.

Ezra laughed, “I deduce that our careers in law enforcement made us the black sheep of our families.”

"So how did you two meet?" Gibbs inquired. An awkward silence descended that had the older man looking between them speculatively.

"Aw Boss, it's not like that." Tony scratched the back of his head. "Senior knew his mom," he reluctantly volunteered.

"Wait," Chris interrupted. "You two aren't like former stepbrothers or something?"

"What?" Tony sputtered, looking incredulously at Ezra.

"Oh no, no. It was nothing like that, " Ezra cut in smoothly. "Mother was looking for her next husband in the Hamptons when I had the pleasure of making Tony's acquaintance. Maude had Senior introduce her to several of the eligible bachelors in the area."

"And Senior employed Maude's rather attractive assets into convincing said bachelors to invest in his latest venture." Tony added.

"So how did that involve you two?" Chris asked.

"Well it was summertime, school was out, and Senior had a friend who had a beach house. Ezra was staying at the property next to us."

"I was merely content to spend the rest of my summer educating myself on the finer points of French literature. However, this annoying young man kept loitering around the beach and making a general nuisance of himself."

Chris immediately understood the situation. He glanced at Gibbs, the man was frowning, no doubt coming to the same conclusion, Tony and Ezra had met because their parents had to "dump them somewhere" while they worked whatever scheme they were up to at that moment. He slid into the seat next to the older man and signalled to the waiter. "Bourbon," he looked over and Gibbs nodded, "Make it two." They drank in comfortable silence, as they watched their respective partners reminisce and engage in animated one-upmanship.


End file.
